Patents by Inventor Dominic Mallinson

Dominic Mallinson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11161236
    Abstract: Methods and systems for using a robot to provide feedback to a user when the user is engaged in a physical activity includes detecting presence of the user in a geo-location. The user is identified and associated with the robot. User activity in the geo-location is monitored and when the robot detects the user is performing an exercise from an exercise routine, the robot is positioned to one or more positions proximate to the user so as to capture image of a posture held by the user while performing the exercise. The captured image is analyzed and feedback provided to the user to allow the user to improve their posture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Dominic Mallinson
  • Patent number: 10831028
    Abstract: A system is provided, including: a head-mounted display (HMD), including, a plurality of retroreflectors, and a display device; an emitter/detector unit, including, an emitter configured to emit a scanning beam into an interactive environment, the scanning beam being configured to continuously trace a predefined scan pattern, and a detector configured to detect reflections of the scanning beam back to the HMD by each of the plurality of retroreflectors; a computing device, including, a processor configured to, for each retroreflector, determine a time at which the reflection occurred, wherein the time is used to determine a location or orientation of the HMD in the interactive environment, the computing device configured to generate a view of a virtual space based on the determined location or orientation of the HMD; wherein the display device of the HMD is configured to render the view of the virtual space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Dominic Mallinson
  • Patent number: 10816799
    Abstract: A head-mounted display (HMD) is provided, including the following: an emitter configured to emit a scanning beam into an interactive environment in which the HMD is disposed, the scanning beam being configured to continuously trace a predefined scan pattern; a detector configured to detect reflections of the scanning beam back to the HMD by each of a plurality of reflectors; a processor configured to, for each reflector, determine a time at which the reflection of the scanning beam by the reflector occurred, wherein the time is used to determine a location or orientation of the HMD in the interactive environment; a display device configured to render a view of a virtual space that is determined based on the determined location or orientation of the HMD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Dominic Mallinson, Gary Zalewski
  • Patent number: 10684485
    Abstract: A system and method of tracking a location of a head mounted display and generating additional virtual reality scene data to provide the user with a seamless virtual reality experience as the user interacts with and moves relative to the virtual reality scene. An initial position and pose of the HMD is determined using a camera or similar sensor mounted on or in the HMD. As the HMD is moved into a second position and pose, images of two or more fixed points are captured by the camera or sensor to determine a difference in position and pose of the HMD. The difference in position and pose of the HMD is used to predict corresponding movement in the virtual reality scene and generate corresponding additional virtual reality scene data for rendering on the HMD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Jeff Stafford, Dominic Mallinson, Steven Osman
  • Patent number: 10668368
    Abstract: A head-mounted display (HMD) is provided, including: an emitter configured to emit a scanning beam into an interactive environment, the scanning beam being configured to continuously trace a predefined scan pattern; a detector configured to detect reflections of the scanning beam back to the HMD by each of a plurality of modulating retroreflectors; a processor configured to, for each detected reflection of the scanning beam, analyze the detected reflection to identify the modulating retroreflector that produced the reflection, and further determine a time at which the reflection occurred, wherein the times at which the reflections occurred and the identification of the modulating retroreflectors that produced the reflections are used to determine a location or orientation of the HMD in the interactive environment; a display device configured to render a view of a virtual space that is determined based on the determined location or orientation of the HMD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Dominic Mallinson
  • Patent number: 10543430
    Abstract: A method is provided: comprising: receiving, by a gaming server, game state data from a player client device, the game state data being defined from a game state of a first instance of a video game that is executed by the player client device; applying, by the gaming server, the received game state data and the view direction data to a second instance of the video game that is executed by the gaming server, to generate a wide field of view (FOV) spectator video; receiving, by a video server, view direction data from a spectator client device, the view direction data being determined from a tracked pose of a head-mounted display (HMD); applying, by the video server, the view direction data to define a portion of the wide FOV spectator video, the portion of the wide FOV spectator video identifying a sub-area of the wide FOV spectator video that is less than an entire area of the wide FOV spectator video; streaming the portion of the wide FOV spectator video to the spectator client device for rendering on the HM
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Osman, Dominic Mallinson
  • Patent number: 10539782
    Abstract: A method for determining an orientation of a photosensor of a controller with respect to a projector is described. The method includes generating, by a beam generator of the projector, a beam. The method further includes modifying a direction of travel of the beam using a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) mirror that moves in a pattern, detecting the beam, calculating a time at which the beam is detected, and determining based on the pattern and the time an orientation of the beam to determine the orientation of the photosensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Dominic Mallinson
  • Patent number: 10520722
    Abstract: A method for determining an orientation of a photosensor of a controller with respect to a projector is described. The method includes generating, by a beam generator of the projector, a beam. The method further includes modifying a direction of travel of the beam using a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) mirror that moves in a pattern, detecting the beam, calculating a time at which the beam is detected, and determining based on the pattern and the time an orientation of the beam to determine the orientation of the photosensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Dominic Mallinson
  • Patent number: 10371944
    Abstract: Systems and method for providing a see-through screen in a head-mounted display (HMD) includes a display screen having a front side and a back side. The display screen is configured for rendering media content. First optics is provided adjacent to the front side of the display screen and configured to provide a focus for viewing the media content. A shutter screen is provided adjacent to the backside of the display screen and is switchable between an opaque mode and a transparent mode. Second optics is provided behind the shutter screen such that the shutter screen is between the display screen and the second optics. The second optics provides an adjustment to the focus to allow clear view through the first optics, the display screen, the shutter screen and the second optics, when the transparent mode is activated on the shutter screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Dominic Mallinson
  • Patent number: 10241573
    Abstract: A method for determining positions of fingers of a user is described. The method includes transmitting a power signal from a head mounted display (HMD) to provide power to a plurality of light emitters. The light emitters emit light in a sequence upon receiving the power signal. The method includes using the light emitted by the light emitters to determine a plurality of positions of the light emitters. The positions are used to play a game using the HMD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Dominic Mallinson
  • Publication number: 20190077007
    Abstract: Methods and systems for using a robot to provide feedback to a user when the user is engaged in a physical activity includes detecting presence of the user in a geo-location. The user is identified and associated with the robot. User activity in the geo-location is monitored and when the robot detects the user is performing an exercise from an exercise routine, the robot is positioned to one or more positions proximate to the user so as to capture image of a posture held by the user while performing the exercise. The captured image is analyzed and feedback provided to the user to allow the user to improve their posture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventor: Dominic Mallinson
  • Publication number: 20190025572
    Abstract: A method for determining an orientation of a photosensor of a controller with respect to a projector is described. The method includes generating, by a beam generator of the projector, a beam. The method further includes modifying a direction of travel of the beam using a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) mirror that moves in a pattern, detecting the beam, calculating a time at which the beam is detected, and determining based on the pattern and the time an orientation of the beam to determine the orientation of the photosensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventor: Dominic Mallinson
  • Publication number: 20180364485
    Abstract: A system is provided, including: a head-mounted display (HMD), including, a plurality of retroreflectors, and a display device; an emitter/detector unit, including, an emitter configured to emit a scanning beam into an interactive environment, the scanning beam being configured to continuously trace a predefined scan pattern, and a detector configured to detect reflections of the scanning beam back to the HMD by each of the plurality of retroreflectors; a computing device, including, a processor configured to, for each retroreflector, determine a time at which the reflection occurred, wherein the time is used to determine a location or orientation of the HMD in the interactive environment, the computing device configured to generate a view of a virtual space based on the determined location or orientation of the HMD; wherein the display device of the HMD is configured to render the view of the virtual space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventor: Dominic Mallinson
  • Publication number: 20180364483
    Abstract: A head-mounted display (HMD) is provided, including the following: an emitter configured to emit a scanning beam into an interactive environment in which the HMD is disposed, the scanning beam being configured to continuously trace a predefined scan pattern; a detector configured to detect reflections of the scanning beam back to the HMD by each of a plurality of reflectors; a processor configured to, for each reflector, determine a time at which the reflection of the scanning beam by the reflector occurred, wherein the time is used to determine a location or orientation of the HMD in the interactive environment; a display device configured to render a view of a virtual space that is determined based on the determined location or orientation of the HMD.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Dominic Mallinson, Gary Zalewski
  • Publication number: 20180361232
    Abstract: A head-mounted display (HMD) is provided, including: an emitter configured to emit a scanning beam into an interactive environment, the scanning beam being configured to continuously trace a predefined scan pattern; a detector configured to detect reflections of the scanning beam back to the HMD by each of a plurality of modulating retroreflectors; a processor configured to, for each detected reflection of the scanning beam, analyze the detected reflection to identify the modulating retroreflector that produced the reflection, and further determine a time at which the reflection occurred, wherein the times at which the reflections occurred and the identification of the modulating retroreflectors that produced the reflections are used to determine a location or orientation of the HMD in the interactive environment; a display device configured to render a view of a virtual space that is determined based on the determined location or orientation of the HMD.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventor: Dominic Mallinson
  • Publication number: 20180299665
    Abstract: A method for determining an orientation of a photosensor of a controller with respect to a projector is described. The method includes generating, by a beam generator of the projector, a beam. The method further includes modifying a direction of travel of the beam using a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) mirror that moves in a pattern, detecting the beam, calculating a time at which the beam is detected, and determining based on the pattern and the time an orientation of the beam to determine the orientation of the photosensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventor: Dominic Mallinson
  • Patent number: 10095024
    Abstract: A method for determining an orientation of a photosensor of a controller with respect to a projector is described. The method includes generating, by a beam generator of the projector, a beam. The method further includes modifying a direction of travel of the beam using a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) mirror that moves in a pattern, detecting the beam, calculating a time at which the beam is detected, and determining based on the pattern and the time an orientation of the beam to determine the orientation of the photosensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Dominic Mallinson
  • Patent number: 10007108
    Abstract: A method for determining an orientation of a photosensor of a controller with respect to a projector is described. The method includes generating, by a beam generator of the projector, a beam. The method further includes modifying a direction of travel of the beam using a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) mirror that moves in a pattern, detecting the beam, calculating a time at which the beam is detected, and determining based on the pattern and the time an orientation of the beam to determine the orientation of the photosensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Dominic Mallinson
  • Patent number: 9983692
    Abstract: A method for determining an orientation of a photosensor of a controller with respect to a projector is described. The method includes generating, by a beam generator of the projector, a beam. The method further includes modifying a direction of travel of the beam using a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) mirror that moves in a pattern, detecting the beam, calculating a time at which the beam is detected, and determining based on the pattern and the time an orientation of the beam to determine the orientation of the photosensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Dominic Mallinson
  • Publication number: 20180095542
    Abstract: Systems and methods for interacting with virtual reality (VR) space using a head mounted display includes detecting a real-world object in a real-world space in which a user is interacting the VR space. An image of the real-world object is presented in the VR space. The image of the real-world object is used to identify presence of the real-world object while interacting with the VR space. Interaction by the user with the real-world object is detected. The VR space is configured to generate a simulated view of the user interacting with a VR object that is mapped to the interaction with the real-world object. The simulated view is presented in the HMD.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Inventor: Dominic Mallinson